The Greatest Goal in the Galaxy (Uranus FC #1) (Mick Elliott, Scholastic)

The Greatest Goal in the Galaxy is a fun start to a new series, with author and illustrator Mick Elliott (The Turners, Squidge Dibley) blending football, aliens and ever-popular gross-out humour into a fast-paced graphic novel. It’s the year 2777, and protagonist Tyko is stuck on Uranus with his genius scientist big sister, Hibiki, and his best friend, Ahmed. Tyko dreams of becoming a striker like his hero, Sandor Sanchez, and playing for Earth FC in the GLOOFF Cup. But when Earth mysteriously disappears, and Earth FC is tragically disqualified, Tyko seizes the opportunity to enter himself and his ragtag group of friends into the tournament and make a wild attempt at achieving his dream. Elliott’s background in children’s animation shines through in his illustrations, which are simple, punchy and full of movement, perfectly capturing the action and energy of the story. The comic-strip format is ideal for readers aged 7 and over, particularly those who may find reading challenging. The language is straightforward and accessible, incorporating amusing Gen Alpha slang that will further appeal to young readers. In addition to the humour and action, Elliott weaves in gentle themes of self-confidence, perseverance and the value of loyalty and teamwork in the face of adversity. Football-mad children will love this goofy, action-packed story, as will readers who have enjoyed series such as Dav Pilkey’s Dog Man and Aaron Blabey’s The Bad Guys.

Books+Publishing reviewer: George Banach-Salas is a queer, non-binary teacher, writer and former bookseller living in Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa. Books+Publishing is Australia’s number-one source of pre-publication book reviews.

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Category: Reviews